FLORICULTURE.

WE believe there is not a lover and cultivator of flowers that would not become a raiser of seedlings, if he once made the attempt; for although year after year he might find his productions surpassed by those of others, yet the hope of succeeding some day would lead him to persevere. To those who may feel inclined to make the attempt we would offer a little advice, founded on an experience of many years; and if our readers will follow it, they will find their reward in the avoidance of many difficulties and disappointments. First-rate productions raised from seed are almost invariably obtained from large numbers;-for instance, Auriculas, Polyanthuses, Pansies, Tulips, &c., which require no glass to cover them in their seedling-beds, rarely yield a variety surpassing their predecessors, and every year increases this difficulty. The same may be said of Fuchsias, Calceolarias, Pelargoniums, and all those species requiring heated glass erections to cultivate them in, and of Cinerarias, which can be wintered well in pits and frames. Since, then, large numbers must be raised to give any chance of success, it behoves the amateur to consider well what room he can afford for their cultivation in the best manner; for a crowded, half-starved condition is the ruin of all young stock, whether animal or vegetable. There is no difficulty in obtaining seed; the difficulty lies in appropriating suitable space and time for the after-management of the plants. This clearly understood, the next thing the amateur has to do is, to procure, if he has not already got them, some of the finest varieties in present cultivation, discarding every thing else with an unsparing, unpitying eye. From these alone he must save his seed; and he must carefully note and mark the produce of the different plants; for it will be found that some of the most superior flowers in every respect never bring a good seedling, whilst some with glaring defects are as prolific of a fine offspring.

The raiser of seedlings alone knows what a fund of enjoyment the pursuit ever affords him. At this sweet time of year, when the April showers are refreshing our seedlingbeds, and filling our glass erections with moisture so congenial to their tenants, with what pleasure do we return to our gardens! All is promise and expectation. If we have disappointment in quarters where we had hoped the most, we have gratifications where we least expected to find them.

All that can be said in praise of the game of chess can be

VOL. III. NO. XXIX.

K

said in favour of raising seedling flowers. It requires forethought, patience, skill, study, determination to succeed, modesty in victory, and good temper in defeat. Our excellent correspondent "Iota" wrote wisely when he said, "I do not scruple boldly to avow before the most fastidious, that it is a pursuit not unworthy of a wise man, nor unbefitting a good one; it is clegant, instructive, scientific, and full of results. And the reader of his Bible may see, and grow wiser by seeing, in it another instance of the tenure on which he holds his portion on earth; that the ground and the things that grow out of it do not yield to him their advantages without the labour of his hands and the exercise of his intelligence."*

VICTORIA REGIA.

THIS queen of aquatics is now flowering beautifully at Syon, the seat of her Grace the Duchess Dowager of Northumberland. We delay giving particulars respecting its successful cultivation, &c. for another month, that we may do the subject full justice, and add a more perfect description of the plant, its flowers, &c. than we are at present enabled to do.

CAMELLIA JAPONICA. COUNTESS OF ELLESMERE.

MESSRS. JACKSON and Son, Nurserymen, Kingston-on-Thames, are the raisers of the variety which forms our Illustration. It is one of many they have raised from seeds saved from some of the finest-petalled kinds, such as Alnut's White, Chandlerii, and Gilesii; they suppose it owes its parentage to the former variety. It is a flower of very great delicacy and purity, such as no artist or colourer can do full justice to, of a fine robust habit, an abundant bloomer, and with excellent foliage. The petals are broad and cupped, without the deep indentation so common in broad-leaved Camellias, and well imbricated. Our drawing was made from a flower which should have been at Worton Cottage on the 3d, and when our artist was present; but through a mistake it miscarried, and Mr. Andrews had it when past its best. The flowers which have been submitted to us since the drawing was made have been very superior to the one so beautifully depicted.

* Vol. for 1849, p. 313.

We may take this opportunity of stating, that there are some beautiful high-coloured flowers, of exquisite form as regards the arrangement of the petals, and particularly of their centres, which will be seen next season. Two of them have been submitted to us, and we look for their re-appearance with considerable interest. They are the productions of a most successful seedling-raiser.

FRAGMENTS FOR THE FLORIST.

A GLIMPSE of spring in mid-winter is most agreeable. There are two pretty shrubs which give us this, putting forth their tiny green leaves in mild weather soon after Christmas: these are, Ribes speciosum and Ribes Menziesii; their bright red Fuchsia-like flowers do not make their appearance till May.

The

Evergreen rock-plants have not, I think, ever been noticed. We have really almost too many new plants; for we are apt to forget, in the charm of novelty, many old friends more worthy of our favour. These evergreen rock-plants, if planted in a shady border, or on a small mound of light sandy loam, well furnished with stones or pieces of rock, form a pretty lively group all the winter, and in early spring, for the most part, give their flowers in abundance. genus Saxifrage is most remarkable for the pretty tufted evergreen habits of its species; such are Saxifraga retusa; oppositifolia, with its two variations, pallida and alba,-the species has bright purple flowers, the first variety pale pink, the second pure white; muscoides, atropurpurea, lævis, hypnoides, platypetala, hirta, Sternbergii, lanceolata, ceratophylla, crustata, crustata hybrida, rosularis, and lingulata all these species of Saxifrage are very pretty and very cheap.

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Sedum dasyphyllum, S. stellatum, and S. sexangulare, are also pretty evergreens; to which may be added Campanula nitida, Cardamine trifoliata and hastulata, Schivereckia podolica, and Aubrietia purpurea. There are doubtless many other equally desirable evergreen rock-plants; but the above have attracted my attention, as this notice of them may probably that of your correspondents; so that they may not, in the crowd of novelties, be quite forgotten.

A pleasing and interesting winter-tree is the Glastonbury Thorn, Crataegus oxyacantha'præcox. Its imputed holy origin is well known. It was, however, well chosen; for it is often, in mild winters, in full bud at Christmas, occasionally some of its blossoms even expanded. It puts forth its leaves very early in spring, sometimes even towards the end of January.

All lovers of spring-flowers-and who is not?-ought to cultivate the early blooming species of Scilla; but, indeed, they require no cultivation; for if a few bulbs are planted in a group,—which should have a permanent name, otherwise the bulbs may be dug up,

-they will continue to increase, and bloom constantly in March for ten or twelve or more years. The most desirable species are Scilla bifolia, with bright blue flowers,—how very brilliant and beautiful they are!-S. bifolia alba, with flowers of pure white, coming into bloom about a week after the preceding; S. bifolia rubra, with pink flowers; and S. sibirica, with flowers of the most beautiful azure blue.

In some of our old pleasure-grounds may be seen, in April, here and there a tree conspicuous for its snowy whiteness: this is the Snowy Mespilus, well named by our old gardeners. Its botanical name is now Amelanchier botryapium. My tree is about eighty years old; and really no greater pleasure do I feel in the varied productions of my grounds, than the constant annually recurring gratification of seeing this fine tree, covered with its pure white flowers. It is perfectly hardy, and grows well any where and every where.

Your readers will, I fear, think I write about old matters, when I mention the Persian Iris (Iris persica) as being worthy of a passing word or two. The roots of this most beautiful and sweet-smelling flower are sold in the autumn by the seedsmen in a dry state; they are potted, forced, perhaps give a flower or two, and are then forgotten. This is not the way to enjoy them. Let me tell my way. Take one, two, or three dozen-they are cheap; plant them in a group or small bed, three or four inches apart, with a permanent label, so that they are not disturbed by the spade, and let them rest, merely weeding them when required: they will, as constantly as March returns, gladden your eyes with their very beautiful flowers. My bed has now been undisturbed for ten years, and a week or two since it was a mass of beauty.

Fortune's" Yellow China Rose." Decidedly a misnomer, for it has no yellow in it. It is, however, a very pretty Rose, and appears to bloom with great profusion; in size and colour its flowers are like the Noisette Rose Ophirie; indeed, so much so, that when Mr. Fortune shewed me a figure of it, when he introduced it from China, I without hesitation assured him it must be the same Rose. This idea was almost confirmed by its foliage and habit, the former of which is small, the latter slender; but a plant has recently bloomed in great perfection in one of my forcing houses. The plant, about a foot in height, was covered with flowers. They are, as I have said above, like those of Ophirie as regards size and colour, but differ in being little more than semidouble, and all circular; while those of Ophirie are often angular, and too much crowded with petals. Their peculiar bright fawn-colour, tinted with salmon, is exceedingly novel and pleasing. A well-grown tree, trained to a wall, would have a fine effect.

Nurseries, Sawbridgeworth, Herts.

T. RIVERS.